The heavy oak doors of the grand hall suddenly slammed shut with a bang.
David jumped slightly at the loud sound and looked back toward his daughter.
David: Lily, come stand right behind me right now!
The little girl ran over and wrapped her small arms around David's leg tightly.
Arthur stepped closer, his expression remaining completely cold and emotionless.
Arthur: Nobody leaves this room until we understand each other clearly.
David: You cannot keep us locked in here, Arthur!
Arthur: This estate has belonged to my family for over a hundred years.
Arthur: What lies beneath these floors is private family business and nothing more.
From deep inside the pit, Sarah shouted up toward the high ceiling again.
Sarah: He is lying! He locked me down here to steal my inheritance!
David looked down at the pit and then turned his eyes back to Arthur.
David: Inheritance? What is she talking about?
Arthur: She is delusional and confused from being kept out of the sun.
David: She sounds completely clear to me, Arthur!
Sarah: I am his niece! My father left his entire estate to me in his will!
David gasped as the missing pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place.
He remembered reading a news report about a missing heiress two years ago.
Sarah Vance had disappeared without a trace right after her wealthy father died.
Everyone assumed she had fled the country to avoid her family responsibilities.
Instead, her own uncle had hidden her beneath the estate floor to claim her wealth.
David: You locked your own brother's daughter in a pit for money!
Arthur: The court awarded me the management of the trust fund legally!
David: Because everyone thought she was dead or missing!
Arthur: It was the only way to protect the family business from failing!
Arthur stepped toward the floor hatch, aiming to kick the heavy stone shut.
David lunged forward instantly and blocked Arthur with his broad shoulder.
David: Do not touch that hatch!
Arthur stumbled backward onto the polished marble floor with a loud grunt.
Outside the massive front windows, loud police sirens began wailing in the distance.